Charleston, North America->United States

I found Charleston to be pretty much like I had always imagined it to be; genteel and strong as iron. This city has survived three hundred years of earthquakes, hurricanes and fires as well as many other disasters and still stands strong on the South Carolina coast. The beautiful antebellum homes have been lovingly restored and many of them are now home to museums.

At the top of our to do list when visiting Charleston was the USS Yorktown. This huge aircraft carries is located in Patriot’s Point and is absolutely massive. The size of this ship really can’t be described. You have to see it for yourself to understand exactly how big it really is. There are six self-guide tour routes allowing you to take a peek at both the living and working spaces aboard the ship as well as the flight deck, engine room, brig and some Naval history exhibits. A hangar provides displays of some historic aircraft. That’s where you actually enter the ship. A little further along there is a nice snack bar; which is a great place to sit and rest for a few minutes before starting off on another part of the tours.

We also stopped

by Fort Sumter while we were there. We took a boat ride to get there, during which we learned a lot of history about Charleston harbor and a few other interesting sites nearby. The tour of the fort itself lasted about an hour and a half. I can’t really say that the fort is in great condition, but then again, it is rather old and it went through a lot during the Civil War. When we took the tour there were still a lot of cannons left at the site. The cost to take the tour was about $12 for adults and half that for kids aged 6-11. Kids under age 6 were free.

At the end of our trip, we went out to Folly Beach. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the beach was quite nice and not crowded at all. We parked at the parking lot, located off street and didn’t have a hard time at all finding a good parking spot. If you’re looking for a good place to just sprawl out and relax while listening to the waves, this is a great beach.

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